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Knockout Games
Knockout Games is set in modern day St. Louis amidst a disturbing rash of seemingly random attacks on bystanders by a group of urban teenagers in a crew called the TKO club. The protagonist, Erica, is one of a few girls who is down with TKO in part due to her natural skill with a video camera and her ability to make art out of the attacks.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
G. Neri
24 books342 followersG. Neri is the Coretta Scott King honor-winning author of Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and the recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award for his free-verse novella, Chess Rumble. His books have been translated into multiple languages in over 25 countries. They include the novels Tru & Nelle, A Christmas Tale, Ghetto Cowboy, Knockout Games, Surf Mules, and two free-verse picture book bios, When Paul Met Artie and Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. In 2017, he was awarded a National Science Foundation grant that sent him to Antarctica.
Prior to becoming a writer, Neri was a filmmaker, an animator/illustrator, a digital media producer, and a founding member of The Truth anti-smoking campaign. Neri currently writes full-time and lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and daughter. You can find him online at www.gneri.com.
Prior to becoming a writer, Neri was a filmmaker, an animator/illustrator, a digital media producer, and a founding member of The Truth anti-smoking campaign. Neri currently writes full-time and lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and daughter. You can find him online at www.gneri.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 4, 2014
G. Neri first came to my attention with the ridiculously titled SURF MULES. I gave it a chance because it was summer and I was bored, and I loved it. I've kept an eye out for his name since. His latest novel, KNOCKOUT GAMES, is ripped from the headlines. The Knockout Game sounded like some fad made up by the media, and to some degree it is. But where it is played, people have ended up in the hospital.
Neri has the good sense not to sensationalize the story, but to humanize it. He gets into the bones of why someone might play such a stupid, hateful game. Some of it comes from the young age of most of the players, still in middle school and eager to seem impressive. Some is the high from the violence. It's a combination of factors.
Erica Asher, unlike most of the players in her town, is white. But she has her own camera and a pretty good eye, and the players like having their knockouts filmed. As she gets more involved with the game, she also becomes more involved with the Knockout King, Kalvin. He's charismatic, genuinely talented, and kind and sensitive when he talks to Erica alone. But the sweet boy she falls in love with is also capable of great cruelty, some of it directed at Erica.
Just as Neri builds up the reasons why, he tears it down with a realistic description of the consequences. KNOCKOUT GAMES is not preachy - in fact, some people get away with more than they should and some get away with less, and both sides are a tragedy. The racial implications of the Knockout Game are also explored. (Although the real-life trend of Jews being targeted is avoided.)
KNOCKOUT GAMES is a tough read. It's violent, and the sex (which the heroine wants) leads to unfortunate consequences (as it is filmed without her consent). The characters are complex and sympathetic, but many times quite unlikeable. It is a story about finding the courage to speak up, but it's a hard journey for Erica. I highly recommend this book for older teens, but I doubt I'll revisit it. It would be a hard one to reread.
Neri has the good sense not to sensationalize the story, but to humanize it. He gets into the bones of why someone might play such a stupid, hateful game. Some of it comes from the young age of most of the players, still in middle school and eager to seem impressive. Some is the high from the violence. It's a combination of factors.
Erica Asher, unlike most of the players in her town, is white. But she has her own camera and a pretty good eye, and the players like having their knockouts filmed. As she gets more involved with the game, she also becomes more involved with the Knockout King, Kalvin. He's charismatic, genuinely talented, and kind and sensitive when he talks to Erica alone. But the sweet boy she falls in love with is also capable of great cruelty, some of it directed at Erica.
Just as Neri builds up the reasons why, he tears it down with a realistic description of the consequences. KNOCKOUT GAMES is not preachy - in fact, some people get away with more than they should and some get away with less, and both sides are a tragedy. The racial implications of the Knockout Game are also explored. (Although the real-life trend of Jews being targeted is avoided.)
KNOCKOUT GAMES is a tough read. It's violent, and the sex (which the heroine wants) leads to unfortunate consequences (as it is filmed without her consent). The characters are complex and sympathetic, but many times quite unlikeable. It is a story about finding the courage to speak up, but it's a hard journey for Erica. I highly recommend this book for older teens, but I doubt I'll revisit it. It would be a hard one to reread.
September 11, 2014
In a word: Intense.
In terms of writing, it's a bit plain, but in a straightforward way that I prefer over needlessly flowery language. In terms of pacing, it started well, hit a bit of a lull, then picked up again after about 100 pages. I kind of zoomed through the second half.
There was a robust cast of characters, which allowed for various relationships and perspectives to develop and color the story. Erica and Kalvin were both fleshed out particularly well, and I like how the author made our sympathies for them fluctuate over time.
In fact, I think the author made a lot of interesting choices -- a white female outsider narrator, being just one example. I'm looking forward to discussing more of those choices with my book club.
And maybe that speaks to my overall feeling about this book: It wasn't the kind of story I would choose to read, and it's hard to say I *enjoyed* it, but I did *appreciate* what it was doing, and I think it's probably a good tool for young readers and the people who work with them.
On a more personal note, I visited St. Louis just a couple months ago, so it was kind of cool to have my own visual memories to reference as I was reading.
In terms of writing, it's a bit plain, but in a straightforward way that I prefer over needlessly flowery language. In terms of pacing, it started well, hit a bit of a lull, then picked up again after about 100 pages. I kind of zoomed through the second half.
There was a robust cast of characters, which allowed for various relationships and perspectives to develop and color the story. Erica and Kalvin were both fleshed out particularly well, and I like how the author made our sympathies for them fluctuate over time.
In fact, I think the author made a lot of interesting choices -- a white female outsider narrator, being just one example. I'm looking forward to discussing more of those choices with my book club.
And maybe that speaks to my overall feeling about this book: It wasn't the kind of story I would choose to read, and it's hard to say I *enjoyed* it, but I did *appreciate* what it was doing, and I think it's probably a good tool for young readers and the people who work with them.
On a more personal note, I visited St. Louis just a couple months ago, so it was kind of cool to have my own visual memories to reference as I was reading.
May 15, 2017
G. Neri has written a novel about the knockout game, where young kids pick a random victim to knock out with one punch. There is assault but no robbery since the aim is not to gain money but relief from boredom and the thrill of seeing the victim hit the ground.
Erica’s family is falling apart, so to get a new start her mother decides to move from Little Rock, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are in the middle of a big divorce and it was far too much for Erica to handle, right before they get in the car to leave for St. Louis her dad gives her a video camera and that is what starts it all. Erica’s new school is very different from her old one, she's one of the only white students that attend her school and her bright red hair doesn’t help that fact that she stands out and everyone notices it. After getting into a fight with a girl named Destiny they realize they don’t actually hate each other and become friends.
Destiny introduces Erica to Kalvin, known as the Knockout King. Kalvin has been apart of a club called TKO, filled with middle school and high school boys, who play the knockout game. Everyone who was a part of it grew out of it but he didn’t, so since he had been there the longest he is considered the leader and all the boys look up to him. Erica recorded a knockout and it turned out to be really good so Destiny put it online, and after the entire TKO club saw it they made it clear that they wanted her to stick around and record all the knockouts. Kalvin develops a crush on Erica and that turns into more, but that doesn’t distract either of them enough to stop playing the game.
When one knockout goes wrong and someone is killed, Erica has to rethink whether or not it’s really a game. This is when Erica first realizes something about Kalvin that changes her whole view of him. Erica wants out but Kalvin isn’t going to let her leave that easy, he tells her she can only leave if she does one last knockout but she can’t bring herself to do it especially to the person Kalvin chooses, you’ll have to read it for yourself to see what happens next.
The reason I chose this book was because it was the first thing that caught my attention, I’m really not into reading whatsoever but this book intrigued me so much that it was actually hard for me to put it down at times. This book relates with my life because it shows that just because something is fun and excites you, it doesn't mean that you should be doing especially if it hurts people around you and yourself in the future. I would definitely recommend this book to any high school student.
Erica’s family is falling apart, so to get a new start her mother decides to move from Little Rock, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are in the middle of a big divorce and it was far too much for Erica to handle, right before they get in the car to leave for St. Louis her dad gives her a video camera and that is what starts it all. Erica’s new school is very different from her old one, she's one of the only white students that attend her school and her bright red hair doesn’t help that fact that she stands out and everyone notices it. After getting into a fight with a girl named Destiny they realize they don’t actually hate each other and become friends.
Destiny introduces Erica to Kalvin, known as the Knockout King. Kalvin has been apart of a club called TKO, filled with middle school and high school boys, who play the knockout game. Everyone who was a part of it grew out of it but he didn’t, so since he had been there the longest he is considered the leader and all the boys look up to him. Erica recorded a knockout and it turned out to be really good so Destiny put it online, and after the entire TKO club saw it they made it clear that they wanted her to stick around and record all the knockouts. Kalvin develops a crush on Erica and that turns into more, but that doesn’t distract either of them enough to stop playing the game.
When one knockout goes wrong and someone is killed, Erica has to rethink whether or not it’s really a game. This is when Erica first realizes something about Kalvin that changes her whole view of him. Erica wants out but Kalvin isn’t going to let her leave that easy, he tells her she can only leave if she does one last knockout but she can’t bring herself to do it especially to the person Kalvin chooses, you’ll have to read it for yourself to see what happens next.
The reason I chose this book was because it was the first thing that caught my attention, I’m really not into reading whatsoever but this book intrigued me so much that it was actually hard for me to put it down at times. This book relates with my life because it shows that just because something is fun and excites you, it doesn't mean that you should be doing especially if it hurts people around you and yourself in the future. I would definitely recommend this book to any high school student.
December 31, 2015
Erica and her mom have just moved from Little Rock, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are divorcing and her mom wanted to start a new life. Erica’s new school is different from her old one - she’s one of the only white students and nobody seems interested in talking to her. After getting into a fight with a girl named Destiny, they find common ground and become friends. Destiny introduces her to Kalvin, known as the Knockout King. He’s formed a club called TKO, filled with middle school and high school boys, who play the knockout game. He considers himself a leader and likes that these boys look up to them.
When Erica is invited along to one of their knockouts, she brings the video camera that her dad gave her and films the whole thing. Suddenly, she’s welcomed into the group and Kalvin makes sure she knows that he likes her. But when one knockout game goes horribly wrong and someone is killed, Erica has to rethink what she’s doing and whether or not it’s really a game.
A great addition to the reluctant readers category. The cover is good - it’s an image of a black boy in a hoodie holding out his fists. The title is in large letters in red and yellow over it. There are also colorful end papers full of photographs, which are a nice touch. The chapters are short, there is decent white space, the font is average, and even though it’s almost 300 pages, the book flies by because of the constant action. It’s a relevant topic for many teens and the realistic situations that happen (especially the court/law stuff) will make teens think about these issues.
When Erica is invited along to one of their knockouts, she brings the video camera that her dad gave her and films the whole thing. Suddenly, she’s welcomed into the group and Kalvin makes sure she knows that he likes her. But when one knockout game goes horribly wrong and someone is killed, Erica has to rethink what she’s doing and whether or not it’s really a game.
A great addition to the reluctant readers category. The cover is good - it’s an image of a black boy in a hoodie holding out his fists. The title is in large letters in red and yellow over it. There are also colorful end papers full of photographs, which are a nice touch. The chapters are short, there is decent white space, the font is average, and even though it’s almost 300 pages, the book flies by because of the constant action. It’s a relevant topic for many teens and the realistic situations that happen (especially the court/law stuff) will make teens think about these issues.
June 19, 2016
G. Neri presents a gritty tale of a group of schoolkids in middle and high school who have been playing the "knockout game" to pass the time. Lining up a diverse cast the story is told, mostly, by Erica who experiences a bumpy road to moral fortitude. Erica's relationship with Kalvin, is intense, wrapped in emotional insecurities and a longing for a solid place in the world. The racial dynamics come off as cliched at times but take the opportunity to highlight the evolution of how youth perceive race without playing "the card".
Knockout Games was inspired by a true phenomenon that was occurring around the U.S. (it may still be happening... not really sure). Neri in turn wrote the novel which focuses on many issues in society today including race related issues, adolescent violent crime, group/mob thing, bullying and abuse. I also really appreciated the viewpoint of how the justice system works and the complications that can arise. I will be sharing this with the collegiate students I work with who enjoy gritty, African-American reads and hope to donate a copy to our campus library.
Knockout Games was inspired by a true phenomenon that was occurring around the U.S. (it may still be happening... not really sure). Neri in turn wrote the novel which focuses on many issues in society today including race related issues, adolescent violent crime, group/mob thing, bullying and abuse. I also really appreciated the viewpoint of how the justice system works and the complications that can arise. I will be sharing this with the collegiate students I work with who enjoy gritty, African-American reads and hope to donate a copy to our campus library.
August 2, 2014
Maybe you’ve seen the videos. Random strangers attacked on city streets by kids who seem to have no purpose other than assaulting their victims.
G. Neri, author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, takes us inside a St. Louis knockout club, a group of middle school and high school kids dedicated to pursuing random violence and capturing it on video. Narrated by the newest member of the club, Erica (nicknamed Fish), a skilled video artist, Knockout Games is as brutal and edgy as it is authentic and important.
Neri doesn’t provide easy answers for why attacking unsuspecting strangers is a gratifying experience for some young people, but readers gain insights into a street culture rarely glimpsed beyond those shocking videos.
Knockout Games will be published in August by Carolrhoda Lab.
G. Neri, author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, takes us inside a St. Louis knockout club, a group of middle school and high school kids dedicated to pursuing random violence and capturing it on video. Narrated by the newest member of the club, Erica (nicknamed Fish), a skilled video artist, Knockout Games is as brutal and edgy as it is authentic and important.
Neri doesn’t provide easy answers for why attacking unsuspecting strangers is a gratifying experience for some young people, but readers gain insights into a street culture rarely glimpsed beyond those shocking videos.
Knockout Games will be published in August by Carolrhoda Lab.
September 9, 2014
Shedding light on a dark element of society, Neri has again created memorable characters and put them through the wringer. I especially liked the use of a pov change to highlight a crucial turning point. What seemed like a ridiculous fantasy scenario is in fact disturbingly real and I hope the message that ignorance and violence beget more violence and sharp consequences for victims on both sides of the punch sinks in.
November 4, 2022
Knockout games is a young adult fiction book that explains the life of a young school girl Erica whose family has recently moved to a different town. Knockout games was published in 2014 by author Gregory Neri. Knockout games has a 3.7/5 rating on goodreads.com.
The book starts off with the main characters mom and dad getting a divorce. The main character Erica ends up going with her mom and has to say goodbye to her dad. Before Erica leaves, her father gives her a camera as a last gift and then her and her mother drive away. When erica and her mother finally reached there new home in St. Louis, they went and picked up the keys to their new home, and got settled in. The house they were staying in was not the best, but that all their dad could afford. The house was split up, Erica and her mother got the attic rooms.
A couple of days after Erica and her mother got settled in, Erica was at her new school starting her first day at Truman High School. That's when she met Mr Evans, the principal of her new school. Mr. Evans explained to her that she would need to catch up because school had started 5 weeks ago. Erica then met Mr. Jamison who said he was the bad cop of the school. He mentions on page 14 that,”but if you act out or get into fights with the other girls, you’ll be mine.” erica is then introduced to Mrs. Lee, who is the art teacher and the safe haven coordinator of the school. Mrs. Lee is seen as the good cop of the school.
During art class, Erica meets the main protagonist of the story, destiny, who was described on page 12 as,”who was a big girl herself with chestnut skin and a tiny bandaid over one eyebrow.” destiny and erica dont start off on the right foot. On page 15, it states,”she gave me the stink eye and when Mrs. Lee wasn’t looking, pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of me.” destiny then say,”that's going on my facebook page, she said all snarky, posting it right there.” She then said,”there's a red giant in my class.” Mrs. Lee then takes away destiny's phone because that was the school policy. Destiny then says to Erica,”you are so dead.'' Erica then starts to use the camera her dad gave to record random things she saw. She would record things like anthill and just anything she thought was interesting. She would do this to make pieces of art. Fast forward a couple of days and that's when destiny and Erica get into a fight. The fight starts with erica recording to make another piece of art, she was recording other students at her school. What she didn’t know was that they were some of destiny's friends. So when destiny saw her recording, she took Erica's camera and started recording erica. Erica says on page 21,”give it back” which destiny responds by saying on page 21,”or what.” Erica then reaches for the camera and they start fighting and end up in the office.
Erica and destiny’s punishment for fighting was cleaning the school. During the time they were cleaning the school, they started to become friends because erica saved destiny from getting expelled from the school by lying to Mr. Jamison. She said that she started the fight. After they finished cleaning the school, destiny said she had something to show Erica, so the next day Erica followed destiny until they reached a group of middle schoolers. The middle schoolers were destiny's friends. Destiny told Erica to start recording and when she did, she saw something very unexpected. One of the middle schoolers whose name was C-Jay had started running at a random guy and punched him in the face. The man fell down and his head hit the ground and all the middle schoolers yelled,”Knockout.” Erica was so confused and then the boys said,”take our picture for the knockout king.” Erica later learned that the knockout king was a person who ran the knockout games. The knockout game is where you take a video of knocking someone out and post it online.
Knockout games is a good/interesting book and I would recommend it to everyone else. There is a lot of interesting turns that you would not think of. The book overall is a very good book and i would give it a 5/5 review because it was a book that I really enjoyed reading.
The book starts off with the main characters mom and dad getting a divorce. The main character Erica ends up going with her mom and has to say goodbye to her dad. Before Erica leaves, her father gives her a camera as a last gift and then her and her mother drive away. When erica and her mother finally reached there new home in St. Louis, they went and picked up the keys to their new home, and got settled in. The house they were staying in was not the best, but that all their dad could afford. The house was split up, Erica and her mother got the attic rooms.
A couple of days after Erica and her mother got settled in, Erica was at her new school starting her first day at Truman High School. That's when she met Mr Evans, the principal of her new school. Mr. Evans explained to her that she would need to catch up because school had started 5 weeks ago. Erica then met Mr. Jamison who said he was the bad cop of the school. He mentions on page 14 that,”but if you act out or get into fights with the other girls, you’ll be mine.” erica is then introduced to Mrs. Lee, who is the art teacher and the safe haven coordinator of the school. Mrs. Lee is seen as the good cop of the school.
During art class, Erica meets the main protagonist of the story, destiny, who was described on page 12 as,”who was a big girl herself with chestnut skin and a tiny bandaid over one eyebrow.” destiny and erica dont start off on the right foot. On page 15, it states,”she gave me the stink eye and when Mrs. Lee wasn’t looking, pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of me.” destiny then say,”that's going on my facebook page, she said all snarky, posting it right there.” She then said,”there's a red giant in my class.” Mrs. Lee then takes away destiny's phone because that was the school policy. Destiny then says to Erica,”you are so dead.'' Erica then starts to use the camera her dad gave to record random things she saw. She would record things like anthill and just anything she thought was interesting. She would do this to make pieces of art. Fast forward a couple of days and that's when destiny and Erica get into a fight. The fight starts with erica recording to make another piece of art, she was recording other students at her school. What she didn’t know was that they were some of destiny's friends. So when destiny saw her recording, she took Erica's camera and started recording erica. Erica says on page 21,”give it back” which destiny responds by saying on page 21,”or what.” Erica then reaches for the camera and they start fighting and end up in the office.
Erica and destiny’s punishment for fighting was cleaning the school. During the time they were cleaning the school, they started to become friends because erica saved destiny from getting expelled from the school by lying to Mr. Jamison. She said that she started the fight. After they finished cleaning the school, destiny said she had something to show Erica, so the next day Erica followed destiny until they reached a group of middle schoolers. The middle schoolers were destiny's friends. Destiny told Erica to start recording and when she did, she saw something very unexpected. One of the middle schoolers whose name was C-Jay had started running at a random guy and punched him in the face. The man fell down and his head hit the ground and all the middle schoolers yelled,”Knockout.” Erica was so confused and then the boys said,”take our picture for the knockout king.” Erica later learned that the knockout king was a person who ran the knockout games. The knockout game is where you take a video of knocking someone out and post it online.
Knockout games is a good/interesting book and I would recommend it to everyone else. There is a lot of interesting turns that you would not think of. The book overall is a very good book and i would give it a 5/5 review because it was a book that I really enjoyed reading.
March 20, 2017
Knockout Games by G. Neri is a book about Erica, a misfit girl, who moves to St. Louis because of her parents separation. She sticks out in her new school like a sore thumb. She ends up getting into a fight almost immediately with a girl named Destiny. After the fight and getting in trouble Destiny and Erica soon become friends and Destiny begins to call Erica "Fish" as a nickname. Erica is so excited to finally have a friend that she follows Destiny around after school, until one day that gets her into some trouble when she accidentally joins The Knockout Games. The Knock Out Games is a group of teenagers who knock out people on the streets for fun. They record all of their knockouts, until one day Erica videos for them. The Knockout King, Kalvin, likes the video Erica has shot and starts to have a liking for Erica, until he betrays her trust. The TKO club dislikes a man who is trying to get the club in trouble. To get the man to quiet down and stop with his public speaking against them, they decide to knock him and his wife out. What they did not mean to do was kill his wife, which ends to questioned by the police and multiple suspects. I liked this book because Neri did a great job expressing how the boys had a natural high due to adrenaline when playing the games. I did not dislike anything about this book. I would recommend this book to older audiences because there is lots of swearing and a sex scene in the book. I would rate it a 9/10.
March 12, 2019
When I was reading this book, I got very interested in it right away and had no problems getting into the story and the main character Erica. Usually I don’t give books a chance and really don’t read much. But when I picked up this book, I simply couldn’t put it down. I actually really liked this book and wanted to keep reading it on and on to get the satisfaction of finishing this book and to learn the story that is contained within this book. The book was already really good once I started on the first few pages to learn about Erica and to learn how she got involved with the young group of delinquents that play the “ Knockout Games”. The book was able to show you this really good character development throughout the story between the group of kids that progressively over time change as they face many hardships in the book. The books rising climax and the build up to make it the good book that it is, is very well executed and is done so well that you honestly can’t get enough of it. I really enjoyed this book and didn’t have any issues with this book and found it to be a easy read and not one of those books to push through just to get it done so you have something else to read. You will fairly enjoy this book and find it a very good read also. I would recommend this book to anyone that is very interested in a real world issues of book/story, you will definitely be able to get into this book and enjoy the book as much as I did.
October 31, 2017
I kinda liked Knockout Games. But I also didn't like it that much, because throughout the book they keep knocking people out for no reason and I never really got the point of it. Even though most of them had a bad childhood, they should've realized that what they were doing was really bad and illegal. They also should've realized that they were eventually going to get caught because of someone not getting knocked out and remembering their faces, or they could've accidentally killed someone. I like realistic fiction because it relates to things that actually happen in real life and because of that, it's also easier to read because I can relate to it, because of things that actually happen.
July 5, 2017
Interesting premise, good characters, well written
September 22, 2017
The book Knockout Games by G. Neri is a realistic fiction that could change the mindset of certain people. Meaning some people will think differently after reading this book. The book is told from an out of place white fifteen-year-old female named Erica. She moves to a modern day crime filled St Louis. She is laughed at in school and gets slightly bullied. Soon she gets new friends who happen to be in a gang.
I enjoyed this book because it is told from someone in an environment that many teens could relate to. This book could teach people lessons such as knowing your role in life. Overall the book is exciting and made me want to read more with each conflict Erica faces. All the trouble and problems interested me as I was reading. The exciting aspect was another factor in making me want to continue reading. I recommend this book to young adults who love action and excitement.
The main characters are Erica, Kalvin, and the TKO group. The group is not talked about or as important as Kalvin or Erica. Erica is quiet and usually, keeps everything such as emotions and problems. Her parents divorced and she moves with her mother to St Louis. Kalvin is very manipulative and demanding. He is the leader of TKO and most of the members are afraid of Kalvin because of his intimidation. The TKO group is made up of many kids whose ages range from ten to under twenty. The two main characters are very different.
The theme of the book is finding yourself. Erica gets affiliated with the wrong group of kids who happen to be a gang. Erica has to find a way out and learn her role. Erica finds hobbies she enjoys such as photography and is an important part of the book. Overall this book is very good and is something I enjoyed reading.
I enjoyed this book because it is told from someone in an environment that many teens could relate to. This book could teach people lessons such as knowing your role in life. Overall the book is exciting and made me want to read more with each conflict Erica faces. All the trouble and problems interested me as I was reading. The exciting aspect was another factor in making me want to continue reading. I recommend this book to young adults who love action and excitement.
The main characters are Erica, Kalvin, and the TKO group. The group is not talked about or as important as Kalvin or Erica. Erica is quiet and usually, keeps everything such as emotions and problems. Her parents divorced and she moves with her mother to St Louis. Kalvin is very manipulative and demanding. He is the leader of TKO and most of the members are afraid of Kalvin because of his intimidation. The TKO group is made up of many kids whose ages range from ten to under twenty. The two main characters are very different.
The theme of the book is finding yourself. Erica gets affiliated with the wrong group of kids who happen to be a gang. Erica has to find a way out and learn her role. Erica finds hobbies she enjoys such as photography and is an important part of the book. Overall this book is very good and is something I enjoyed reading.
September 29, 2017
This author is great and this is a really good book. 10/10 recommend. (Warnings:Lots of cursing, unless you're into those kinds of books..)
October 13, 2019
Not my favorite of his
Read
January 12, 2022it was kinda boring
August 10, 2022
Way better than I expected it to be. The whole conflict was so real, gritty, and interesting.
May 10, 2023
I really like this book. A lot of chapters made me want to read more and I feel this is good book for people to like to read about violence. I also like that it takes place in st.louis
March 21, 2017
Knockout Games is a book that takes place in Saint Louis Missouri during the Obama Presidency. This Book is told from the perspective of a girl named Erica. She is a soon to be sixteen heavy girl with red hair which sets her apart from her mostly African American classmates. She meets a girl by the name of Destiny and she introduces her to the knock out games and many other characters involved with it. What I liked about the book is that the book is told from Erica's perspective. She provides the reader with a unique view on the knockout games because she speaks with individuals of opposing views on the knockout games. It helps the reader understand how the Knockout Games are viewed by more than just those who participate in it
I disliked that the book didn't dive deep into many of the characters. Some characters only had a name and no explanation for them existing in the book. Due to the lack of knowledge given to the reader it is easy to get certain characters mixed up with one another if they did not have a defining action that curved the story.
Overall the knockout games is a good book that I would recommend to high school students.
March 14, 2018
I would recommend this book to people that like suspense and mysteries. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was really good. This book was really fun to read and I really enjoyed it.
This book was a really fun book. I would recommend this book to people that like realistic fiction novels because it was very well done.
This book was a really fun book. I would recommend this book to people that like realistic fiction novels because it was very well done.
July 24, 2014
**This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley. The title is scheduled to release on 8/1.
I was interested in this book from the get-go after reading the summary because I remember hearing about this when it was happening regularly. Having lived in the south part of St. Louis City and taught in the Old North area of St. Louis City, I was even more intrigued when I found out it was set in St. Louis. I grew up and now live again in a town about an hour and a half straight down the Mississippi River so I’ve always been familiar with and visited STL regularly so it was easy to envision where all of these things are taking place. Though this book is fiction, it is very closely based on real events involving the “Knockout Game”. If you don’t much about the “game”, look it up on Google (I did this again after reading just to find out more); but, basically, a group of teens find random victims and run up to them with the goal of knocking them out with one hit. This game eventually resulted in the death of at least one person and severe injuries for many other victims. It is insane to me to think that there are young people out there participating in this kind of thing.
Erica is a white high school student that moves to St. Louis at the beginning of the book after her parents separate. She lives in and attends school in a predominantly black community and is sucked into a group of kids, yes kids, that are participating in knockout games… all because she has a good camera. When her involvement becomes more than just filming, the story gets deeper. Kalvin, the Knockout King, pulls Erica in and convinces her to do things she would have never thought. When the group goes after one of Erica’s teachers and her husband, she knows she has to get out. Throughout the story, the group is trying to avoid getting caught and when it comes to arrests being made after a particularly gruesome event, Erica has to figure out if she going to do the right thing or not. This is a deeply troubling story about what some middle and high school students are dangerously involved in so it was tough to get through, but extremely important and will suck students right in to the story. I would have recommended and bought many copies of this title while working at my job in St. Louis because I could get so many of them to read it. Since I am still close to the area, and many of my students will probably remember hearing about this, not to mention that it is just an interesting story, I will still be buying a few copies and recommending this to my students as much as possible. It is also a quick read due to the content and interest factor. I am so glad I was approved for this ARC!
My rating: 4.5/5
Who would I recommend this to? Considering where I’m from and how many people I know in St. Louis, I will be recommending this to students and adults alike as a good read. I will particularly recommend this to my students who like realistic, troublesome stories or who are reluctant readers especially.
Drugs/Alcohol: There is little talk, if any, of drug or alcohol use.
Sex: There are some sexual scenes, but nothing overly graphic or upsetting.
Language: Being that this story centers around teens and middle school ages, there is of course some language, but it does not stand out from the story itself at all.
Violence: This story, unfortunately, centers around violence, but it is an important read.
Review from my blog: http://sarakiplinger.wordpress.com/20...
I was interested in this book from the get-go after reading the summary because I remember hearing about this when it was happening regularly. Having lived in the south part of St. Louis City and taught in the Old North area of St. Louis City, I was even more intrigued when I found out it was set in St. Louis. I grew up and now live again in a town about an hour and a half straight down the Mississippi River so I’ve always been familiar with and visited STL regularly so it was easy to envision where all of these things are taking place. Though this book is fiction, it is very closely based on real events involving the “Knockout Game”. If you don’t much about the “game”, look it up on Google (I did this again after reading just to find out more); but, basically, a group of teens find random victims and run up to them with the goal of knocking them out with one hit. This game eventually resulted in the death of at least one person and severe injuries for many other victims. It is insane to me to think that there are young people out there participating in this kind of thing.
Erica is a white high school student that moves to St. Louis at the beginning of the book after her parents separate. She lives in and attends school in a predominantly black community and is sucked into a group of kids, yes kids, that are participating in knockout games… all because she has a good camera. When her involvement becomes more than just filming, the story gets deeper. Kalvin, the Knockout King, pulls Erica in and convinces her to do things she would have never thought. When the group goes after one of Erica’s teachers and her husband, she knows she has to get out. Throughout the story, the group is trying to avoid getting caught and when it comes to arrests being made after a particularly gruesome event, Erica has to figure out if she going to do the right thing or not. This is a deeply troubling story about what some middle and high school students are dangerously involved in so it was tough to get through, but extremely important and will suck students right in to the story. I would have recommended and bought many copies of this title while working at my job in St. Louis because I could get so many of them to read it. Since I am still close to the area, and many of my students will probably remember hearing about this, not to mention that it is just an interesting story, I will still be buying a few copies and recommending this to my students as much as possible. It is also a quick read due to the content and interest factor. I am so glad I was approved for this ARC!
My rating: 4.5/5
Who would I recommend this to? Considering where I’m from and how many people I know in St. Louis, I will be recommending this to students and adults alike as a good read. I will particularly recommend this to my students who like realistic, troublesome stories or who are reluctant readers especially.
Drugs/Alcohol: There is little talk, if any, of drug or alcohol use.
Sex: There are some sexual scenes, but nothing overly graphic or upsetting.
Language: Being that this story centers around teens and middle school ages, there is of course some language, but it does not stand out from the story itself at all.
Violence: This story, unfortunately, centers around violence, but it is an important read.
Review from my blog: http://sarakiplinger.wordpress.com/20...
Read
July 29, 2014G. Neri has written a novel about the knockout game, where young kids pick an unsuspecting victim to knock out with one punch. There is assault but no robbery since the aim is not financial gain but relief from boredom and the thrill of seeing the victim hit the ground.
To draw readers into this phenomenon, Neri uses a young white girl who must move to St. Louis after her parents’ marriage falls apart as his narrator. While she didn’t lead an upper crust life before the move, Erica finds her new school and environment in an urban, mostly African-American neighborhood to be stark and uncomfortable compared to her old life.
In keeping with the idea that sometimes people pick on you in a misguided attempt to connect, the isolated Erica finds a friend after she takes some of the blame for a fight with Destiny, another student at school. Destiny introduces Erica to the TKO Club, in part because Destiny doesn’t want to be the only girl anymore.
TKO’s leader is K (Kalvin) a Fagin-like high school dropout who holds sway over his middle-school aged charges with a mixture of intimidation and encouragement (plus free food). He tells them that they are not a real gang because they are just having fun and aren’t stealing or doing drugs or anything like that. In his mind, these dangerous assaults are somehow righting some of the wrongs in the world. His younger disciples aren’t aware of the ways that K’s own demons inform his actions and the orders he gives them. The characterization of K is strong and there is even a moment where he and his deputy in TKO, Prince, play good cop/bad cop much in the same way the principal and vice principal do at Erica’s school.
Erica has artistic talent and before she and her mother move, her father gives her a camera to encourage her. Erica uses the camera when she gets involved with TKO, recording their exploits, editing them and adding special effects to make mini-movies. For some reason I thought about the movie Bonnie and Clyde and before long, K refers to this and other movies he wants Erica to use as inspiration. As she gets more involved with the group and K, Erica gets caught up, pushing past her unease about the attacks and not paying attention as Destiny withdraws from her and the group.
When I first heard about this book, I was skeptical because it seemed as if it was written to capitalize on something that had been a hot topic a few years ago. In fact, after getting a lot of coverage, there was some backlash indicating that the media might have exaggerated the prevalence of teens playing the knockout game. However, the award-winning author specializes in gritty tales about kids with tough lives and does his research. The story does have some “afterschool special” type moments…But in thinking about it more, the danger of teens coming under criminal influence never goes away, even if the knockout game was exaggerated in the media. The teenage brain is impulsive and whether it is risky behaviors that seem merely foolish or are actually criminal, these years can be precarious.
Read more of my review of KNOCKOUT GAMES on my booksploitation book blog.
To draw readers into this phenomenon, Neri uses a young white girl who must move to St. Louis after her parents’ marriage falls apart as his narrator. While she didn’t lead an upper crust life before the move, Erica finds her new school and environment in an urban, mostly African-American neighborhood to be stark and uncomfortable compared to her old life.
In keeping with the idea that sometimes people pick on you in a misguided attempt to connect, the isolated Erica finds a friend after she takes some of the blame for a fight with Destiny, another student at school. Destiny introduces Erica to the TKO Club, in part because Destiny doesn’t want to be the only girl anymore.
TKO’s leader is K (Kalvin) a Fagin-like high school dropout who holds sway over his middle-school aged charges with a mixture of intimidation and encouragement (plus free food). He tells them that they are not a real gang because they are just having fun and aren’t stealing or doing drugs or anything like that. In his mind, these dangerous assaults are somehow righting some of the wrongs in the world. His younger disciples aren’t aware of the ways that K’s own demons inform his actions and the orders he gives them. The characterization of K is strong and there is even a moment where he and his deputy in TKO, Prince, play good cop/bad cop much in the same way the principal and vice principal do at Erica’s school.
Erica has artistic talent and before she and her mother move, her father gives her a camera to encourage her. Erica uses the camera when she gets involved with TKO, recording their exploits, editing them and adding special effects to make mini-movies. For some reason I thought about the movie Bonnie and Clyde and before long, K refers to this and other movies he wants Erica to use as inspiration. As she gets more involved with the group and K, Erica gets caught up, pushing past her unease about the attacks and not paying attention as Destiny withdraws from her and the group.
When I first heard about this book, I was skeptical because it seemed as if it was written to capitalize on something that had been a hot topic a few years ago. In fact, after getting a lot of coverage, there was some backlash indicating that the media might have exaggerated the prevalence of teens playing the knockout game. However, the award-winning author specializes in gritty tales about kids with tough lives and does his research. The story does have some “afterschool special” type moments…But in thinking about it more, the danger of teens coming under criminal influence never goes away, even if the knockout game was exaggerated in the media. The teenage brain is impulsive and whether it is risky behaviors that seem merely foolish or are actually criminal, these years can be precarious.
Read more of my review of KNOCKOUT GAMES on my booksploitation book blog.
March 23, 2017
Erica, a misfit girl who cannot seem to fit in at her new school, has thought she finally made a friend until she realizes she has also joined the Knockout Games. Knockout Games by G. Neri is about a teenage girl named Erica who is forced to move because of her parents seperation. She hates her new school and slowly realizes that her school has very little white students and that she sticks out even more due to her red hair and heavier set. Within her first couple days of school she gets into a fight with a girl named Destinee. Destinee quickly befriends Erica and gives her the nickname “Fish” because she takes the blame for the fight. One day after school Erica and Destinee are hanging out and Destinee asks Erica to film her and some boys. What Erica does not know is what she is about to film is the Knockout Games. Knockout Games is a group of middle school and high school boys knocking out unsuspecting victims on the street and filming it. The Knockout King, Kalvin, likes the video Erica has filmed and also takes a liking to Erica. Erica then begins to fall for Kalvin until he hurts her. Erica is stuck between a rock and a hard place when Kalvin not only begins to threaten her, but also her family. Kalvin gets mad at the leader of the Neighborhood Watch and decides to play the Knockout Games on him and his wife. What Kalvin did not meant to do was kill the wife. I enjoyed the pace of this book. It was quick moving and kept your attention very easily. It was also a very easy and fast read. I did not dislike anything about this book. I would recommend this book to older audiences due to swearing and sexual content. I rate The Knockout Games a 10/10.
August 1, 2014
When fifteen-year-old Erica Asher moves with her mother to St. Louis after her parents' breakup, she is sent to Truman High School. Erica immediately realizes she is one of only a handful of white students in a largely African-American school. She is warned by the school's disciplinarian that the school had once been a hot bed of violence and insanity, until he arrived, and told she better not become a problem. When an altercation with Destiny, one of her primary abusers, threatens to get Destiny sent to the alternative school, Erica takes the blame and Destiny immediately befriends her. In an attempt to seal a friendship, Erica shows Destiny a video she's mixed, impressing Destiny so much with her artist's eye that Destiny invites her to meet some of her friends. What Erica discovers is the TKO Club. This "club" is a group of middle and high school boys led by the Knockout King, a dropout named Kalvin. These boys target unsuspecting citizens and rush up to them, hitting them as hard as possible in the side of the head...a knockout. At first Erica is shocked by the violence, but as she spends more time as the club's videographer, she begins falling for Kalvin's charms and tries to justify her part in the boys' games. G. Neri does an excellent job of portraying both the "high" the boys get from their wanton violence and the horror of such a random act on defenseless citizens. He shows the pain and anguish such violence causes not only the victims, but the community as a whole, and when a death results from the game, Neri carefully outlines what happens to the young offenders without being preachy. In an author's note, Neri discusses how he learned about the knockout game in 2012 and was inspired to write the story. As with Neri, I had never heard of such violence, but a quick Google search revealed that this is indeed yet another scar on our wounded society. I recommend this book for ages 15 and up. I always fear that novels like this will give students bad ideas, but Neri does an excellent job of relating the horror of the events and the fallout that results from such violent behavior. There is use of curse words as well as a sex scene between the two main characters. This book is slated for publication August 2014 and I received an egalley of the book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 5, 2016
I just finished reading knockout games by G. Neri. I overall thought this book was a good read, and it went by rather fast due to the amount of action throughout it. It's all about a girl named Erica who moved from Little Rock, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri with her mother who recently went through a divorce and wanted to start a new life for her and Erica. Once in Missouri, Erica attends a school that is much different from the one she had always gone to. She is one of the only white kids at her new school and she feels left out since no one is talking to her. She gets into a fight with a girl named Destiny who then introduces her to a fight club called TKO. Kalvin, the "knockout king" formed this club of middle and high school boys. In this club they play the knockout game. Intrigued and feeling noticed, Erica starts to hangout with the knockout club and starts to record the fights on her video camera. None of the kids in the club seem to think there is anything wrong with this game that they play. However, there is a neighborhood group who does see something wrong with their fights and is trying to stop the violence. The boys of TKO decide to teach the leader of this group a lesson and fight him. In the process, a life is lost. Erica, having recording all the fights, leaves her camera at the crime scene and starts to question why she is in this club at all.
Overall, the book was really good and fast paced. I think that students would enjoy this book because of all the action. I think there is a part of this book that is sad and shows how desencitized teens and our society is becoming to violence. I, for one, am against fighting and boxing and that sort of sport, but I know there are people out there that really love and believe in this sport. I think this book could teach students a good lesson and they could maybe relate to some of the teen issues in this book. Maybe not being in a fight club, but the idea of not fitting in and making sure they fit in with the right type of crowd.
Overall, the book was really good and fast paced. I think that students would enjoy this book because of all the action. I think there is a part of this book that is sad and shows how desencitized teens and our society is becoming to violence. I, for one, am against fighting and boxing and that sort of sport, but I know there are people out there that really love and believe in this sport. I think this book could teach students a good lesson and they could maybe relate to some of the teen issues in this book. Maybe not being in a fight club, but the idea of not fitting in and making sure they fit in with the right type of crowd.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2018
I think the book was really good. The book knockout games started off as Erica moving schools and finding a new home. Her parents got split up and now she decided to move on her own and start a new life. Erica joined a boxing club when she moved and she was the best person in there after like a week. Erica was already somewhat good at boxing before she joined the club. Erica was then asked or forced to do this dare they do. You have to randomly go up to someone and knock them out with one punch for no reason. Erica was being forced to do it and you will have to read it to find out if she does is or not.
January 3, 2015
G. Neri presents a gritty tale of a group of schoolkids in middle and high school who have been playing the "knockout game" to pass the time. Lining up a diverse cast the story is told, mostly, by Erica who experiences a bumpy road to moral fortitude. Erica's relationship with Kalvin, is intense, wrapped in emotional insecurities and a longing for a solid place in the world. The racial dynamics come off as cliched at times but take the opportunity to highlight the evolution of how youth perceive race without playing "the card".
As Erica's world spirals out of control and every decision attached to real consequences, Neri's writing unveils the realities surrounding social and criminal justice, and the dangers of groupthink. Writing with authenticity you're hard pressed to find a more authentic voice for urban youth today.
Disguising a plethora of timeless morals, this is 300 pages of real talk.
Why I'll be sharing this book with my students...
Knockout Games was inspired by a true phenomenon that was occurring around the U.S. (it may still be happening... not really sure). Neri in turn wrote the novel which focuses on many issues in society today including race related issues, adolescent violent crime, group/mob thing, bullying and abuse. I also really appreciated the viewpoint of how the justice system works and the complications that can arise. I will be sharing this with the collegiate students I work with who enjoy gritty, African-American reads and hope to donate a copy to our campus library.
In the wake of several social justice issues occurring in America right now, Neri's prose is not only relevant but a crystal ball for a number of youth I work with everyday. Once I got started, I couldn't put it down to where I even loaded it on my phone and kept reading when I had a moment to spare.
Review copy provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own.
As Erica's world spirals out of control and every decision attached to real consequences, Neri's writing unveils the realities surrounding social and criminal justice, and the dangers of groupthink. Writing with authenticity you're hard pressed to find a more authentic voice for urban youth today.
Disguising a plethora of timeless morals, this is 300 pages of real talk.
Why I'll be sharing this book with my students...
Knockout Games was inspired by a true phenomenon that was occurring around the U.S. (it may still be happening... not really sure). Neri in turn wrote the novel which focuses on many issues in society today including race related issues, adolescent violent crime, group/mob thing, bullying and abuse. I also really appreciated the viewpoint of how the justice system works and the complications that can arise. I will be sharing this with the collegiate students I work with who enjoy gritty, African-American reads and hope to donate a copy to our campus library.
In the wake of several social justice issues occurring in America right now, Neri's prose is not only relevant but a crystal ball for a number of youth I work with everyday. Once I got started, I couldn't put it down to where I even loaded it on my phone and kept reading when I had a moment to spare.
Review copy provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own.
July 29, 2014
It was a pleasant but not so surprising surprise to learn that G. Neri also wrote Yummy, which I've been pushing and kids have been responding to. Likewise, Neri picked up this topic, because of it's recent notoriety-- the knockout game is a group of youth, generally not gang affiliated who go around trying to knockout an unsuspecting person with one punch, definitely causing injuries but sometimes even death, all for the fun of it.
In this story, the focus is on a white girl named Erica whose mother relocates to St. Louis after separating from Erica's father. Her hard-scrabble new existence is intense as she tries to assimilate into a school and culture of violence with her stand-out red hair and camera attached as she watches. She gets mixed up with Destiny who encourages Erica to use her skills to record these knockouts and then Erica becomes entwined both in the group but also with the Knockout King, Kalvin. There are graphic scenes when Erica loses her virginity to Kalvin as well as the language and obvious violence (Erica steals her father's gone and attempt to use it) and disregard for human life, so it's not for the faint of heart.
The book is difficult to digest because of it's hard-hitting issues, but is so necessary. There's subsequent trials and tribulations Erica must face including facing the music with her parents about not being the good girl she was supposed to be but also about snitches getting stitches, retribution, but also redemption if it's possible (like Destiny's brother who left the TKO group and came back essentially to be the one to help end it), though it might be a bit more difficult for Erica after paying her debt for her involvement.
In this story, the focus is on a white girl named Erica whose mother relocates to St. Louis after separating from Erica's father. Her hard-scrabble new existence is intense as she tries to assimilate into a school and culture of violence with her stand-out red hair and camera attached as she watches. She gets mixed up with Destiny who encourages Erica to use her skills to record these knockouts and then Erica becomes entwined both in the group but also with the Knockout King, Kalvin. There are graphic scenes when Erica loses her virginity to Kalvin as well as the language and obvious violence (Erica steals her father's gone and attempt to use it) and disregard for human life, so it's not for the faint of heart.
The book is difficult to digest because of it's hard-hitting issues, but is so necessary. There's subsequent trials and tribulations Erica must face including facing the music with her parents about not being the good girl she was supposed to be but also about snitches getting stitches, retribution, but also redemption if it's possible (like Destiny's brother who left the TKO group and came back essentially to be the one to help end it), though it might be a bit more difficult for Erica after paying her debt for her involvement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2015
A friend told me something about knockout games in 2013. I'd never heard of them. I thought it sounded like a racist urban myth: Disaffected black youth attacking random white targets, sometimes with enough force to kill or disable. But my friend was right. There it is on Wikipedia. It's a thing.
This novel tells the story of 16-year-old Erica, whose life is turned upside down when her parents divorce and she moves to St. Louis with her mom. Angry, struggling find a place in her new school, and left mostly to her own devices, Erica begins making YouTube mini-movies. She shares one with a classmate, who who introduces her as a film-maker to the knock-out group. Initially, Erica records the action. Over time she finds herself joining in.
I liked that the novel delves a bit into the complexity of racism. Erica is white; the Knockout King is biracial; some of the group are Hispanic. And I liked the author's efforts to make sense of the choices and circumstances that pave the road leading to random violence. But in the end, random violence will never make sense.
This book was also interesting to me as a bad-ass bad girl anti-hero story. I've been seeing a trend of these, with the "Dorothy Must Die" series and the Mara Dyer series. Even done well, as Knockout Games is; even retelling events that are based in reality - I'm still not a fan of anti-hero stories. Give me emotional and moral complexity. Remind me that life is complicated, people even more so, and choices sometimes impossible. But don't make my heroes bad.
This novel tells the story of 16-year-old Erica, whose life is turned upside down when her parents divorce and she moves to St. Louis with her mom. Angry, struggling find a place in her new school, and left mostly to her own devices, Erica begins making YouTube mini-movies. She shares one with a classmate, who who introduces her as a film-maker to the knock-out group. Initially, Erica records the action. Over time she finds herself joining in.
I liked that the novel delves a bit into the complexity of racism. Erica is white; the Knockout King is biracial; some of the group are Hispanic. And I liked the author's efforts to make sense of the choices and circumstances that pave the road leading to random violence. But in the end, random violence will never make sense.
This book was also interesting to me as a bad-ass bad girl anti-hero story. I've been seeing a trend of these, with the "Dorothy Must Die" series and the Mara Dyer series. Even done well, as Knockout Games is; even retelling events that are based in reality - I'm still not a fan of anti-hero stories. Give me emotional and moral complexity. Remind me that life is complicated, people even more so, and choices sometimes impossible. But don't make my heroes bad.
November 14, 2014
A novel about a disturbing trend, "knockout games" that are played by bored teens looking for an adrenaline rush. They take turns choosing an unsuspecting passerby as a target, run up to them and knock him or her out cold with one punch, running away before help or the authorities arrive. Erica, a white girl who is new to her high school in mostly black St. Louis, feels like an outcast until her skills with a videocamera get her invited to film the dramatic knockouts of Destiny's crew. At first the victims are all strangers, and Erica is able to squelch her misgivings about the violence in the rush of feeling a part of the group and having her film editing skills admired. She is also growing close to Kalvin, AKA The Knockout King, the charismatic but dangerous leader of the knockout crew. Soon she is drawn into doing more than just filming the knockouts. And when one of the knockout victims is someone Erica knows, things get more personal.
Interesting look at urban teen life, at teens trying to fit in and trying to form groups that aren't exactly gangs but that give the same sense of belonging and protection. And ethics: when is it speaking up and when is it ratting on friends? You can sympathize with Erica up to a point, for feeling like she doesn't fit in, and being drawn to Kalvin, who is very slick with the ladies. But he doesn't treat her so well and eventually she just has to wake up and do what's right.
I read an advance copy of this book from Netgalley.
Interesting look at urban teen life, at teens trying to fit in and trying to form groups that aren't exactly gangs but that give the same sense of belonging and protection. And ethics: when is it speaking up and when is it ratting on friends? You can sympathize with Erica up to a point, for feeling like she doesn't fit in, and being drawn to Kalvin, who is very slick with the ladies. But he doesn't treat her so well and eventually she just has to wake up and do what's right.
I read an advance copy of this book from Netgalley.
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